


Alone Together

by wyvernlordminerva



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alone Together AU, Alternate Universe, Gen, Pre-Undertale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-04 01:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5315669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyvernlordminerva/pseuds/wyvernlordminerva
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Poor old Mr. Gaster fell into the Core. His soul got split in two, now he ain’t around no more.”<br/>Fic based off of upperstories’s Alone Together AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“( **DETERMINATION,** )” Gaster muttered to himself, looking over his notes, “( **the power of a SOUL to persist after death…** )” He stared intently at the remains he had requested for, disappointed that they were almost entirely decomposed. He and Alphys’s experiments had been going nowhere, likely due to the difference in composition between humans and monsters; a comprehensive dissection of the two humans could have proved groundbreaking.

No one had even known they were in the underground until some poor kid had stumbled upon broken and bloody remains in the dump, two fresh souls hovering nearby in the corner as though they still had the capacity to be scared. The Royal Guard had swooped in and snatched them up immediately, but left the bodies there for several weeks. Until Gaster had asked about them, no one had bothered to clean them up; thus, leaving him with a useless mess.

’( **Well, only mostly useless.** )’ he mused, still enthralled by the possibility the skeletons presented. Some monsters, him included, shared a similar structure to these frames, and he briefly wondered if they could be revived with magic before coming up with a much better plan. He smiled and called for his assistant.

“( **Alphys! Can you bring me a phial of S4N5?** )”

“Eh? But that one’s untested?” she said.

“( **Well, I’m about to test it.** )”

“Whatever you say, Doctor.” she muttered sarcastically as she walked off, quickly returning with the serum. “What’s this for?”

“( **The flowers likely don’t have enough matter to contain this kind of dose.** )” he explained, “( **I’m going to test this on something a little more… substantial.** )”

“Are you sure? Human remains are hard to come by… I’m sure we can get the flowers to respond…”

“( **The flowers are neither human nor monster, and therefore serve us no purpose. Experimenting on them was a waste of our time.** )” She flinched, looking away. “( **These, however… There is a chance some life might be left in them.** )” Loading the injection gun, he positioned it into the smaller skeleton’s eye and implanted the DETERMINATION with the smooth movements of a person who’s done this perhaps too often, repeating this procedure with the second body.

 “( **Now, we wait.** )” he said, putting away the extra equipment, “( **I’ll watch them for the next twenty-four hours. In the meantime, you’re off duty. Go watch your “animes” or whatever it is you like.** )“ She seemed upset, but nodded and left without a scene. Gaster waited. And waited. And waited, waited, waited, ate some instant noodles straight out of the package (they’re better dry), waited, waited, waited, forwent sleep (his kind didn’t really need it), waited, waited, waited…

And nothing happened.

”( **They’re as useless as the rest.** )“ he declared, angrily writing his reports nearly fourty-eight hours later. ”( **Of course DETERMINATION has no effect without a soul! How could we be so stupid?** )“ Living subjects. He needed living subjects. He pulled out his phone and tried to call Alphys, but heard no response. Frustrated, he tried texts. Messaging. No response. He almost considered visiting her in person, but soon came up with a much better plan.

He rustled through the samples, looking for a certain substance. There. S4N5. He pushed the phial into the injection gun and shot straight into his eye. And nothing happened.

…Or at least, it seemed like nothing had happened. There was no surge of energy, no flash of strength. He felt completely normal.

”( **I knew it. Our serum is clearly faulty.** )“ he muttered, scrutinizing his notes again for the one factor he might have missed. He searched for hours, mumbling and growling quietly in frustration. At some point, his phone started buzzing, but he payed it no mind. Someone knocked on the door to the lab. He wasn’t listening. His head ached from days of sleep deprivation and he was starting to feel sick, but he continued searching and searching until…

”( **There. Right there.** )“ Someone had mixed the wrong materials together, probably Alphys. All he had to do was follow the actually correct instructions and the problem would be solved. He could throw out the other batch later; there were experiments to run. The thought of progress pushed him forward.

Except, he didn’t have the materials. Irritated, he trudged up the stairs and towards the exit. The coolant used in the CORE also acted as a good stabilizer; he could just borrow some of the extra chemical and no one would notice. The door slammed behind him.

"Dr. Gaster?” Alphys called out from the other end, “is anyone there?” Concerned by the doctor’s desperate need to contact her, she had left immediately after checking her phone in the morning. It had been a while since then, but it couldn’t have gone _that_ wrong. After knocking for ten straight minutes and receiving no response, she started rummaging through her purse for her keys. She slid the card through the scanner and shoved open the door.

“Dr. Gaster, are you there?” she called out again. No response. The door to the basement was wide open and the lab dead silent. Suppressing a shiver, she stepped deeper into the labs. “Doctor, are you okay?” she called again.

She walked towards the dissection room where she’d seen him last, staring at the mess of papers that littered the floor. “These are definitely his reports…” she thought out loud at the sight of the nigh illegible handwriting. She was going to make a fatal mistake in a formula one of these days trying to translate that.

Careful not to step on the notes, she peeked inside. Aside from the papers and broken glass, the room seemed normal (’ _That rules out a break-in…_ ’), but when she stepped inside, she noticed the floor was covered in some kind of… sticky ooze, almost clear.

“Doctor?” she tried one last time. Sighing, she started picking up the papers. Somehow he was going to blame this on her.

Meanwhile, Gaster stepped off the elevator on the third floor, headed towards the CORE. He was dizzy enough to vomit, but continued to stumble forward. It wouldn’t be long now, with the chemicals so close. Finally reaching his destination, he punched more codes into the elevators, trying to get into the CORE’s center, but all the numbers seemed to blur together. Eventually, he managed to hit the numbers.

Gasping for breath, he nearly collapsed there, but something inside him, he wasn’t quite sure if it was truly his curiosity anymore, was pushing him forward relentlessly. He was caked in… something. He didn’t know. It didn’t matter. He had made it to the CORE.

The floor beneath him lurched as he tried to walk down the hallway, and for the first time, it blatantly occurred to him that injecting an untested and likely dangerous solution into his body wasn’t the best idea. “( **Need… chemical…** )” he mumbled, trying to remind himself why he had come in the first place, but it sounded like garbled gibberish to him. The floor swayed again, and this time he really was sick.

He stumbled, trying to regain his balance, and threw himself right over the rails instead.


	2. Chapter 2

The microwave beeped, Alphys immediately running to grab her noodles. It was almost nightfall, and she hadn’t gotten one message from Gaster since he called earlier. Vaguely, she wondered if he was pranking her. Sighing, she plopped back down at her computer, absentmindedly reading the messages she had gotten on UnderNet.

“guess who just suplexed the SHIT out of this boulder!!!” Undyne sent her, complete with a picture of a shattered rock. Undyne was just a trainee, but spent a lot of time around the lab (when her boss was out, at least). She smiled and grabbed her phone.

“hey, i’m free rn. wanna come over and watch more of those history videos?“ she texted.

“oh my god i’m so there!!!”

“this one has giant swords :)”

“GIVE ME TEN MINUTES" Someday, she’d have to tell her that it was just a cartoon and not, in fact, human history, but today was not that day. She stretched and started to clean up her part of the lab, grabbing some of said "history books” and plopping down on the couch.

Suddenly, a loud crash sounded from the basement. Alphys froze, shutting her book quietly. Another crash. She crept toward the entrance to the basement, carefully scanning the area for signs of life.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” she called. She was met with silence for a moment, then an agonized scream echoed through the corridor. Confused, she made her way down. “Are you hurt?” How could anyone have snuck into the basement without her noticing?

Her heels clicked on the ground as she crept forward, the only sound in an otherwise quiet room. Nothing seemed out of place; the mess from before had been entirely cleaned up. She noticed a soft murmuring coming from the dissection room. She knocked on the door, and the noises stopped.

“Umm, is anyone in there? I’m not going to hurt you…” she said, reaching for the knob, “I’m coming in.” She opened a small crack in the door, checking to see if it was safe before pushing it open. Fingers shaking, she flipped on the lights, only to find the room completely empty. She sighed, only to have her relief replaced with horror.

“T-the remains…!” The skeletons of the humans were completely gone without a trace. “Of course there was a break-in… I’m so stupid…” she thought out loud, rubbing her face, “The doctor’s going to kill me…” Giving the room one last glance, she walked towards the tables to see if she could find anything left of them, but the room was spotless. Behind her, she heard scratches on the tiles as something scurried out the door and ran away before she could see them.

“Hey, stop!” she cried out, certain they were the thief, “Get back here!” She followed them out of the room, but they were already deep into the labs. The scratching sounds echoed down the hall, punctuated by muffled sobbing. She locked the door to the basement, blocking the only exit.

“They must’ve broken in while I was away and waited there…” she thought out loud, glancing at the clock, “…for twelve hours?” Oh well, stranger things have happened in this lab, she reckoned. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and went to call the guards, only for one to conveniently show up at her door.

“Alphys, I’m here!” Undyne yelled from the entrance, Alphys ran to open the door.

“Undyne, there’s a thief in the basement! At least, I think it’s a thief… It might’ve been…” Alphys trailed off, watching Undyne face fall from a smile to a shocked expression. “Anyway, I locked them in, so they shouldn’t be able to escape.” Undyne called her spear, a serious expression crossing her face.

“Are they dangerous?”

“I’m not sure… I think they might be hurt.” Undyne pushed Alphys behind her as they descended the stairs, Alphys whispering directions to her as they searched the lab. Finally, they heard the characteristic murmuring coming from a dead end, and Undyne readied her magic. Bits and pieces of disjointed words and soft cries floated towards them.

Undyne remembered her training - push back to the door, open it slowly, check the wall - No one was waiting to sneak attack them. She took one final glance at the empty corner before slamming open the door and throwing a spear into the floor for good measure. Shrieks rang out from a corner of the room, drawing the girls’ attention to a pair of glowing eyes huddled together in the corner, clinging to each other for dear life.

“Alphys, what are those…?” Undyne asked shakily, eyes locked onto the red substance coating the strange creatures.

“I-I…T-they’re…” she stuttered in disbelief, “They’re the… test subjects…” She stepped towards the two to get a better look as Undyne dismissed her spears. The skeletons tried to push further into the wall, squeezing into each other as they watched Undyne with wide, horrified eyes.

“They’re just kids… What kind of fucked up experiments are you running here?” Undyne shouted, glaring at Alphys.

“I-It’s not like that! A day ago they were dead! And I never wanted to try it in the first place; it was…” she paused, brows furrowing in concentration, “it was…”

“Whatever! Let’s just get them out of here.” Undyne stepped towards the kids, intending to help, but instead causing the smaller one to let out another terrified wail. Suddenly, Alphys’s glasses turned blue and shattered, computer monitors and beakers soon following. Then, the two just disappeared.

“D-did they just teleport??” Alphys asked no one in particular. Undyne turned her icy stare back onto her.

“You are going to explain what’s been going on right now.”

“I-I don’t know, I really don’t! Those remains had no soul; they shouldn’t have responded at all!” Undyne looked skeptical.

“So I’m just supposed to believe they just woke up and started walking around in their own?” Alphys stared blankly.

“…Yes? Look, I don’t understand this either, but we have to find them _now_. Who knows what kind of damage they could cause?” Undyne thought for a moment, then sighed.

“If I bring them to you, will they just become your test subjects again?”

“Of course not! Somehow, those two managed to gain a soul. That makes them as much a person as us.” Undyne paused, then nodded.

“I’ll find them. You figure out what happened.” she said as she walked towards the exit. “…I’m sorry for blowing up on you.” Alphys didn’t get a chance to respond, the door slamming behind her. She sighed, suddenly exhausted, and began searching the labs for something to examine as she contemplated what just happened.

“Where could they have possibly gotten a SOUL?”


	3. Chapter 3

The CORE exceeded physical boundaries, stretching through time and space to drain power from places most people could never begin to comprehend. It could be rearranged, repurposed, deconstructed in a matter of seconds; a marvel of modern technology. Perhaps the most amazing feat of the CORE was that no one was injured during its construction.

Or, maybe they had, and there was simply nothing left of them now. No body, no soul, no memory of their existence. The CORE tore them to pieces, and life went on as though they had no impact on the fate of this world. Gaster had known this. He watched them scatter across the universe’s “data”, unreachable as they cried for help. Soon, he forgot about them too, their only remnant being a few scattered notes filled with calculations leading to nowhere. Notes, that in a few days, would either change subject or disappear entirely, the universe refusing to leave any trace of the former doctor.

However, DETERMINATION is a powerful substance, and as Gaster was destroyed, a part of him refused to die. A single, grey SOUL, broken in half by the intense pressure, floated out of the CORE, its DETERMINATION allowing it to persist and live on. It traveled listlessly, repeating old patterns, trying to find its purpose again, until it came upon the lab. The halves phased into the basement, suddenly picking up on an intense power emanating from within. It traced the aura to a pair of bodies, long deceased, but somehow radiating DETERMINATION. Enamored, the SOUL latched onto them and was absorbed.

The smaller woke first, numb and confused. When it tried to move, his new body didn’t respond. Pushing against the invisble force harder, the being threw himself off the table and into a shelf, knocking it over. Panicked and dizzy, he tried to push the shelf back up, only to result in another crash. He took a shaky breath, willed it back into place the best he could and brushed the glass under the cabinet, wincing at the red stain his arm left on the floor.

Suddenly, the taller skeleton twitched. The other stared, curious, until a voice echoed from outside the door. They screamed. He grabbed a nearby lab coat and shoved it over their mouth, head split in two by the noise.

“that… hurts…" he groaned, barely discernible through the incessant buzzing in the other's head. They clawed at the fabric, joints cracking and adding to the muffled noise. “please don’t…" They whined and pulled at it more, shaking as tears began to well in their eyes.

“please… w-we’re going to be caught" he begged, an eye glowing blue in the darkness. He pulled them to the floor, removing the cloth and wiping their face. The other was incessantly mumbling garbled words, seemingly unaware of what was happening. Suddenly, a voice called out from behind the door, and they went silent. He pushed them both into a corner, breath quickening as the light faded from his eye.

The sound of someone’s footsteps clicking against the tile echoed through the halls. A sob escaped his throat as the door finally opened, creaking softly, and a strange, lizard-like creature wearing a lab coat walked in. Suddenly, the lights flickered on, and he had to shield his eyes to keep from being blinded. The monster cried out in shock, staring at the tables where they had laid. The other, a skeleton he could see now, placed a finger over his mouth and slowly pulled him off the ground. He pointed at the wide-open door, giving his arm a light squeeze before shooting off into the dark halls, dragging him behind him.

The creature yelled as the skeletons skittered through the labs, pushing along the walls in an attempt to find their way out. Faintly remembering something, the taller pointed to a room he believed to be unused, figuring they would never be found in there. Once again, they huddled together in the corner, clinging together for safety.

It wasn’t long until footsteps could be heard again, heavier and more dangerous sounding than before, and the door slammed open as some kind of weapon was thrown in their direction. The skeletons screamed, squeezing each other close. The strange new monster that had appeared was even more horrifying, and had immediately started yelling at the other who accompanied her. The two conversed for a few moments, before the larger tried to move towards them. Unable to take it anymore, the smaller one turned blue and shattered several objects. Visions of an abandoned junkyard filled his mind as he wished them anywhere but here, and, when he had finally calmed down enough to open his eyes, they were.

He looked around him, searching for the other, only to find the area empty. Breath quickening, he stood and started digging through the garbage he had landed on, trying to call out for him with his broken voice. A shriek came from behind him, followed by the sound of something splashing into the water. Hoping it was him, he turned to look, only to find a weird case floating where the sound came from with the title "Night of the Living Dead” written on it. Confused, he looked around again, but found nothing.

He tried to call out for the other again, but only managed a strangled groan. He sobbed, digging back into the pile, but then he heard another scream come from the edge of the cavern. Jumping into the water and wading towards it, he searched for the source of the noise, which was now fussing about this being “too much in one day, I’m not ready for this kind of fame”.

The other skeleton was laying in a pile of junk, unconscious, as a bright pink ghost floated over him, blushing and fretting. As he approached, the ghost squeaked and disappeared. He payed them no mind and ran to the other skeleton, hugging him close as he relaxed. The ghost slowly appeared again, approaching the pair.

“You…! You must be…” they spoke, eyes sparkling, “ _Actors_!” They giggled in excitement, squeezing the case the smaller skeleton had seen in the water earlier. “I’m like, your biggest fans! You were so good in this one! Like, even now, you look like real zombies!” He shot them a confused look, but they didn’t seem to notice him as they pulled a marker out of… somewhere.

“I’m sorry, you must get this a lot and I’m probably being irritating, but…” They handed him the marker and case. “Can you… sign my copy? You don’t have to if you don’t want to!” they stuttered out. The smaller skeleton stared blankly at the objects for a moment, before uncapping the pen and scribbling some odd symbols on the case and handing them back. They gasped.

“That’s so… _iconic_!” they squeaked, “This is everything I ever dreamed of! Thank you _soooo_ much!” They turned to leave, but stopped and went back. “Oh, I’m sorry, I-I have something I want to give you! Wait here!” They floated away, and the skeleton was left wondering where exactly this ghost was expecting them to go. Within less than a minute, they were zooming back, something blue and fluffy levitating next to them.

“This is state-of-the-art human technology!” they announced, showing of the jacket, “Ever wish you could wear a blanket outside your house? Well, wish no more! This jacket,” he punctuated by unzipping it, “has a blanket built into it, so you can be comfy and cozy wherever, whenever!” He lowered the jacket onto the pair, smiling. “It’s a bit big on you, but that just means you have enough to share! After all, it can get pretty cold in the underground, and humans like you need to stay warm!” They winked, disappearing again for the last time as they went home to blog about their newest discovery.

The skeleton stared, unsure of what had happened, but appreciating the gesture anyway. He wrapped them up and zipped them in it, patiently waiting for the light to return to the other’s eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Undyne pulled out the old lab coat, gesturing to the red stains smeared across it.

“This is their scent right here. Can you keep an eye out for them?” she asked, handing it over for the Dogi to sniff. The dogs ceased their nuzzling, examining the coat as they nodded.

“Hmm, yes… / (Smells like human.)” they said, handing it back. “If they come near Snowdin… / (We’ll call you immediately!)” Undyne smiled, glad to finally have a lead.

Meanwhile, the skeletons rubbed at their bones, sick of the sticky, red substance coating them and smudging everything they touched. Mostly, they were just glad to have the smell gone.

“I THINK THAT’S ALL OF IT!” the taller one announced cheerfully. After waking up, he finally began to talk, though he seemed to have very little volume control.

“yeah. now we smell like garbage instead.” the other replied as he pulled a rotten banana peel out of his arm.

“BETTER GARBAGE THAN THAT NASTY STUFF!” he said, climbing back onto the garbage pile after deeming himself sufficiently clean. He rusled through it, grabbing some old t-shirts and pulling one on. The other sighed, following suit.

“ALRIGHT, SO I HAVE GATHERED EVERYTHING WE MIGHT POSSIBLY NEED! BAGS, FOOD…” he rattled out a list of items as the smaller skeleton stared blankly.

“what’s all that for?” he asked. The other looked scandalized.

“WELL, WE’RE… WE’RE…” he tried to stutter out a response, “WE… NEED TO GO HOME! YEAH!”

“and where’s that, exactly?”

“I HAVEN’T THOUGHT OUT ALL THE DETAILS YET, BUT IT’S DEFINITELY SOMEWHERE!” he concluded, smiling. The other frowned.

“i-i… i don’t think there is, bro.” He looked away. “who’s gonna take in two abandoned science experiments who don’t even have names?” The other flinched.

W-WELL, MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST… TRY? SEE IF THERE IS? WE CAN’T JUST SIT HERE FOREVER.“ The smaller skeleton slinked further into the pile.

"i don’t see why not. we fit right in.” He smacked his arm.

“DON’T TALK LIKE THAT.” He pulled him up as he stood, hoisting an old duffel bag with various sorts of junk food shoved inside. The smaller pulled the jacket closer, trying to keep it from getting wet as they trudged through the water, but ultimately failed. They headed deeper into the caverns, searching for some kind of exit.

At some point, they had ended up in a dark room filled with strange glowing crystals. After realizing they didn’t provide as much light as it had initially seemed, the skeletons soon found themselves very lost. Groaning in frustration, the taller finally plopped down on the ground for a short rest, the other enthusiastically following suit.

“I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID… NOT THE "WE’RE GARBAGE” THING, THAT WAS TOO DEPRESSING, BUT…“ He poked at the other’s face, trying to keep them awake. "WE… DON’T HAVE NAMES, DO WE?” Silence. “SO, MAYBE, WE SHOULD MAKE UP OUR OWN! WHAT DO YOU THINK?”

“i think it’s a pointless distraction, but okay.” He sat up finally, giving up on his nap. “what’ve you got so far?”

“WHAT HAVE I GOT?”

“yeah. names. any ideas?”

“OH, UMM, YES!” he said, giving a shaky smile. After a moment of no further elaboration, the smaller motioned him to continue. “WELL, WE TALK KINDA FUNNY, AND I REMEMBER… WE WERE ALWAYS LIKE THIS, RIGHT?” The other nodded. “IF I HAD TO DESCRIBE IT, IT WAS KINDA… WINGDING-Y? BUT NOW IT’S DIFFERENT. YOU SOUND MORE… COMIC SANS-Y?”

“so, what’s your point?”

“WE NAMED OURSELVES AFTER IT BEFORE, WHY NOT TRY IT AGAIN, ‘SANS’?” he tested, making a slightly dissatisfied face. “NO, NEVERMIND. IT WAS DUMB.” Sans smiled.

“no, i think it works, 'papyrus’.” A grin grew on Papyrus’s face and excitedly squeezed Sans in his arms.

“YEAH!” he exclaimed, jumping onto his feet, “LET’S KEEP GOING! I THINK I CAN SEE THE EXIT RIGHT OVER THERE!” “The exit”, as Papyrus had called it, was a dead end, filled only with water, some grass, and a stray echo flower, diligently repeating Papyrus’s frustrated mumblings as he felt along the wall.

“I DON’T GET IT. WHO WOULD MAKE A CAVE THAT DOESN’T LEAD ANYWHERE?” he said, waiting for the flower to respond after its strict five-second interval.

“i dunno, bro. nature?” Flawlessly, the flower recited their conversation back to them. Papyrus wanted to scream.

Suddenly, splashes echoed through the hall as someone moved through the water towards them. They shared a brief look, fear flashing through their eyes.

“quick, in the grass!” Sans whispered, pointing to the patch near the wall. The pair ducked inside, praying that whoever was there would just pass by them. Tapping replaced the splashing as they moved out of the shallow pool of water and closer to the skeletons, giving the area a quick look around before what sounded like them turning to leave.

“Quick, in the grass!” the flower echoed, Sans’s breath catching in his throat as the footsteps went silent. The tapping drew closer and closer, his mind scrambling to think of anywhere but the lab and the spears and the _needles_ -

Wrinkled arms pushed back the grass, the two screaming in shock. Stunned, the figure recoiled slightly, then burst into laughter as realization dawned on him.

“Sorry, kids! I thought you were someone unsavory, but you’re just lost, aren’t ya?” he said, extending a hand to help them up. They stared. “Alright, that’s fine… I was supposed to be looking for someone for a friend o’ mine, but I think she wouldn’t mind if I helped out a couple of lost children, would she? How 'bout I get you two some tea and put you back on the right path?” Sans examined the turtle, unsure if he could be trusted, but Papyrus stood and nodded his head.

“Y-YEAH! THAT WOULD BE NICE!”

“Well, come on, then! My shop’s right through here!” He led them deeper through the caverns, eventually ending up near a river where a strange hooded figure sat, staring into the water. As they approached, their eyes locked onto the pair, watching them silently as they entered the shop.

“Oh, don’t mind them. They do that to everyone. Anyway, here we are!” he said as he pushed back a curtain to a homely-looking cave, crystals embedded in the wall sparkling like… like…

“stars…” Sans breathed in amazement.

 "Well, not quite, but a fine substitute, I think!“ he said as he slapped a hand on his shoulder, laughing. "You two make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back!” He left the shop, pulling out his phone and dialing.

“Did you find anything?” Undyne asked, exhaustion audible through the phone.

“I think I have, actually.”

“What? Where are they?”

“Waiting in my shop. You might want to hurry; they don’t seem like the type to stay in one place for long.” She hung up, not bothering to say goodbye. He chuckled, grabbing a few boxes of Sea Tea from the hidden crack he called his warehouse.

“Man, those two must be in a lot of trouble…”


	5. Chapter 5

“I’ve never seen you two ‘round here before.” the turtle said, passing the tea to the skeletons. “Hope ya don’t mind me asking, but what brings ya to Waterfall?” Sans and Papyrus glanced at each other.

“we’re… not too sure ourselves…” Sans replied. He gave a light chuckle.

“Ah, so you’re the wandering type, eh? That’s alright. I was the same way when I was younger!” he said as he smiled at some unknown joke. “Do ya at least know where you’re headed?” They gave another blank stare.

“Hmm. Well, if you keep heading west of here, you’ll end up in Snowdin. It’s got a lot of interesting sights. You’re sure to find what you’re looking for!” He picked up their empty mugs, placing them in the sink. “Is there anything else you need? I got a bunch of stuff I sell to travelers here.”

“NO THANKS! WE HAVE PLENTY!” Papyrus said, showing him his bag. The turtle blanched.

“Actually, I have some special, brand-new backpacks here that you might want to consider. Something tells me yours isn’t going to last very long.” Papyrus frowned, confused. “Here, it’s on the house! I even packed it for you.” He passed him the backpack, taking the other one and throwing it away with a grimace on his face. Papyrus smiled anyway.

“THANKS, MISTER!” he said, situating it on his back before grabbing Sans’s arm and heading for the exit.

“Be careful out there, kids!” he called behind them, mapping out Waterfall in his mind and wondering if they’d get the chance to escape. The pair traveled on, winding through corridors and wading through water. Eventually, they found themselves at a pond, mysteriously glowing blue and surrounded by echo flowers. The skeletons plopped down near the edge, staring into the water. Sans yawned.

“DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO REST?” Papyrus asked. Sans nodded silently, opening the jacket and crawling closer. They wrapped themselves up and soon fell fast asleep. Meanwhile, Undyne pulled herself out of the river, having swam from Snowdin to Waterfall. Quickly wringing out her hair, she knocked on the wall of Gerson’s shop.

“Ah, Undyne! Care for some Sea Tea? I just finished some!” he said, lazily pulling back the curtain.

“Thanks, but I’m a bit busy right now, in case you forgot. Where did they go?” He laughed at her disheveled and sodden appearance, pointing to the left.

“They left about a half-hour ago. They couldn’t have gotten far.” She thanked him, promptly running off to catch them. Ten minutes later, she found them wrapped up in a fluffy hoodie by the shore. She paused.

“Huh. Didn’t actually think I’d find them…” she mumbled, approaching the two quietly. A blue eye peeked out from under the hoodie, watching her carefully. “Woah, hold on, I’m not going to hurt-" He  slammed her into the wall, cracks forming in the rock behind her as she thanked whatever sense had told her that she would need armor. Peeling herself off the wall through the haze of pain creeping into her from her back, she stumbled onto her feet just in time to be penned in by a cage of magically-formed bones. She summoned her spear, smashing it through the cage, and marched forward, ready to strike.

"p-please go away…” he begged, tears running down his face as he cowered inside the hoodie. The other skeleton woke to her sharp teeth and menacing stare hovering over his head, too horrified to even scream. Her expression softened as she let out a sigh.

“Look, I know you’re scared and probably don’t want to go back to the lab, but this is for your own good, okay? We’re not gonna hurt you.” she said, “Can you come with me, please?” She held out her hand, anxiously waiting as the skeletons stared holes in her. They teleported away in a flash of blue.

Undyne bit her tongue to keep herself from screaming in anger as she stood, but it didn’t stop her from letting out an onslaught of profanity soon after. She kicked a rock into the lake as she pulled out her phone, pushing the buttons just a bit too hard.

“Oh, Undyne, how’s the search going?” Alphys’s voice chimed through the receiver. She growled in response.

“…Not well, huh-”

“They were RIGHT! THERE! And then they teleported away again! Where did you get the great idea to give them teleportation powers anyway?”

“I didn’t. I’m not sure how-”

“Whatever! It doesn’t matter! I’ll have to track them down again and UGHH!” she groaned, plopping down on the ground.

“…Why don’t you take a break? You’ve been searching nonstop since they left.” Alphys suggested.

“But I can’t! What if they get hurt? Or worse, hurt someone else? That small one really packs a punch!”

“Well, if you keep going like this, they’re sure to get away. You can’t chase them forever! At least rest for a few hours, then you can get right back to it. I bet one of the other guards will find something in the meantime!” Undyne thought for a moment, then sighed.

“I guess. But only 'cause you asked!” She hung up before Alphys could respond, stretching as she stood. Her back screamed in pain, the adrenaline finally worn off. A nap didn’t sound too bad, suddenly.

Meanwhile, Doggo laid back in his chair, legs propped up on the sentry lookout. He pulled out a box of dog treats, lighting one and taking a deep whiff of it. Suddenly, he heard a crash in the woods, followed by a squeaky “ow!”. He leaned over the post, on high alert for any sudden movements.

…There! On the left!

“Stop right there!” he yelled, jumping out and drawing his swords. Narrowing his eyes, he scanned the area again. Suddenly, hands assaulted his head, petting him into submission. “I’ve been compromised!” he shouted, rolling over. The skeletons laughed, running off past the guard station.

“didja see the look on his face?” Papyrus tried to imitate it, eyes bugging. The two laughed harder.

“SANS, IS THIS SNOWDIN?” he asked as they slowed down and took the time to appreciate the scenery.

“huh. yeah, I think it is, paps.” Sans said appreciatively. The two giggled, leaning into each other.

“WE-WE MADE IT! PAST THE SCARY FISH LADY AND EVERYTHING!”

“we sure did.”

“WE’RE GONNA… WE’RE GONNA FIND A HOME!” Sans felt something rise in his troat, but he swallowed it down and kept smiling.

“y-yeah…” he mumbled, suddenly less excited.

In the forest, two sniffs could be heard, the Dogi homing in on their new target.


	6. Chapter 6

The Dogi surrounded the strange smell, ignoring the panicked cries as they took a sniff of it. They immediately recoiled, gagging.

“Garbage?/(It’s literally garbage?)” they said to each other, trying to examine said garbage through near-blindness. The dogs pinned down the pile, confused by the movement and whining. “Garbage doesn’t move./(Garbage doesn’t whine!)”

Then they realized. The smell of garbage. The crying.

“(Someone threw away their puppies!)” The dogs scooped up the shivering pooches in their arms, wincing at how bony they felt. “Poor things!/(You must be starving!)” Sharing a look, the Dogi vowed to hunt down the heartless jerk who did this and give them a piece of their mind, but first, the puppies demanded their attention.

The dogs carried them to Grillby’s, a restuarant popular with the locals. Said locals included two dogs, a guy that looked like a fish, a guy simply known as “Big Mouth”, a rabbit, and a few other assorted monsters. The dogs sat down at a large table near the middle and ordered four hamburgers, ignoring the strange looks some of the other customers were giving them. Surely, they were just as concerned for the puppies as they were!

“Hey, you gonna introduce us to the kids?” Big Mouth called from his usual booth. Lesser Dog barked, also curious.

“Can you believe it?/(Someone abandoned these puppies!)” they said, hugging them closer. Big Mouth stared.

“Whatever you say, man.” he replied, turning back to his food. Lesser Dog let out a whine. Grillby brought over the hamburgers, giving the skeletons in their arms a wierd look. Sans shrugged.

“You must be starving!/(You’re practically skin and bones!)” they said, passing the skeletons the burgers before ripping into theirs. Sans and Papyrus glanced at each other, confused, but took a bite anyway.

“this… this is the best!” Sans said, eyes sparkling. Papyrus blanched, eyeing the grease dripping off the bun.

“YOU CAN HAVE MINE.” Papyrus said as he passed the burger into Sans’s excited hands, wiping his on his shirt. Dogaressa laughed.

“(Y'know, it’s better with ketchup!)” she said as she passed it over. Sans stared at the bottle, unsure, but saw another customer chugging a similar-looking substance. He unscrewed the lid and took a massive gulp as the patrons stared in awe.

“it’s pretty good, kinda salty, though…” he said, wondering if he had done something wrong. The Dogi laughed. Papyrus sunk in his chair, the smell of the place starting to make him sick. He leaned over to Sans

“SANS, CAN WE LEAVE? I DON’T LIKE IT HERE.” he whispered.

“huh? why not?”

“I JUST… DON’T? PLEASE, CAN WE GO?” Sans sighed.

“okay, in a few minutes.” He returned to his burger and ketchup, laughing alongside the other customers. Papyrus slid out of his seat, shuffling around the restaurant until he found himself in front of the bar. He hoisted himself onto one of the stools, peering over the counter at the bartender. Grillby stared back.

“UMM… WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE ON THE MENU?” he asked. Grillby cocked his head to a fish-like monster sitting near him.

“Just burgers and fries. That’s all anyone ever orders anyway.” they said in Grillby’s place.

“OH…” Papyrus slumped in his chair, about to sulk back to Sans when Grillby walked off into the back.

“Hold on, kid, he’s looking for something.” Papyrus sat, waiting, until Grillby came back with a box and offered it to him, its contents rattling as it shook. Papyrus accepted it tentatively, examining it for a moment before opening it.

“Ah, that’s some of that "spaghetti” stuff they like over in the capital, right? Seems a bit… dry.“ He pulled out a few strands, examining it before crunching it between his teeth. He smiled in delight, shoving more in his mouth. "Different strokes for different folks, I guess.” they conceded, shrugging.

“Hey, you two do realize those two aren’t puppies, right?” a different customer called out suddenly. Sans froze. “They’re clearly skeletons.”

“…Skeletons?/(That sounds familiar…)” The Dogi stared at each other, searching their memories for what exactly they were supposed to be doing with skeletons. The smell of rot drifted into their minds, followed by sushi. “Undyne was looking for skeletons!/(We were supposed to capture them!)” They sniffed the air, realizing that the two had already ran away and bounded out of the diner, following their scent.

Sans and Papyrus ran, clutching onto each other as they heard twin barks in the distance.

“SANS! CAN’T YOU JUST TELEPORT US AGAIN?” Papyrus asking between gasps, clutching the box of spaghetti against his chest.

“where to? the labs? waterfall, with the fish lady? there’s nowhere else to go!” Sans choked out, steps slowing. “we’re going to be caught, no matter what we do.” Papyrus pulled him forward.

“SANS, PLEASE DON’T TALK LIKE THAT. WE CAN’T JUST GIVE UP!”

“i don’t see why not.” Sans came to a halt and curled up in his hoodie on the ground.

“SANS…” Papyrus said as crawled up next to him, poking at the pile of fluff and bones. “H-HEY, WE’RE GOING TO BE OKAY. THERE’S GOTTA BE-” he sniffed, “THERE’S GOTTA BE A HOME FOR US SOMEWHERE.” Papyrus blinked away tears as Sans shuffled in his hoodie. The bundle jumped into his lap and hugged him, shivering. Papyrus could hear a muffled “i’m sorry” come through, and he smiled.

“HEY, SANS. I BET I CAN CHEER YOU UP.” he said. Sans peeked out, curious. “WHY DID THE SKELETONS NEED A FRIEND? ‘CAUSE THEY WERE FEELING BONE-LY!” Papyrus said as he laughed. Sans stared, confused for a moment, before giving a tentative giggle. Soon, the two were clutching each other and gasping for breath in between laughs.

The Dogi surrounded the pair, curiously sniffing the strange, shivering pile. Dogaressa stared at her husband and gave a low whine.

“(I know she said she was looking for skeletons, but I don’t smell that scent she gave us on them at all.)” she said, backing off. Dogamy nodded.

“Yeah, she has to be talking about a different pair. I don’t smell anything, either.” The Dogi paused for a moment before leaning over to meet the skeletons in the eye. "Where do you live?“

"W-WHAT?” Papyrus said, confused.

“(This has been a big misunderstanding. As an apology, we’d like to escort you back home.)” Dogaressa looked to the quickly darkening sky. “(It’s getting pretty late, after all.)/It’s unsafe for kids to be wandering about!”

Papyrus looked away. “WE… DON’T REALLY HAVE A HOME.”

“The inn it is!/(Don’t worry, we’ll pay!)” they said, hoisting up the pair and carrying them to the mentioned inn. They sat down on a couch in the reception area, watching as the dogs talked to the innkeeper. Eventually, the dogs walked over and passed them a key, smiling.

“Good luck!/(Have a nice night!)" the Dogi said, waving to them before leaving. Papyrus jumped off the couch, carrying Sans on his back, and walked towards the stairs.

"Your room’s on the left!” the innkeeper called, giving them a kind smile. “Oh, and if you need anything just call. We serve breakfast at eight, and…” The rabbit giggled, embarrassed, as she laid a hand on her enlarged stomach. “Sorry, you boys must be tired. You should get some rest.” Papyrus offered her a nervous smile in thanks, climbing up the stairs.

He opened the door to their room, gasping.

“SANS, LOOK! IT’S HUGE!” Papyrus said, putting him down and leaping onto the queen-sized bed.

“woah…” Sans breathed in  amazement.

“IT’S A ROOM, SANS! A REAL ROOM!” Papyrus jumped up and down on the bed, laughing. He fell into the fluffy comforter and pillows as Sans crawled onto the bed, the skeletons curling up together. Sans spread the hoodie over the covers.

“HEY SANS.” Papyrus whispered, giggling.

“what?”

“WHAT DOES A SKELETON TILE HIS ROOF WITH?” Sans thought for a moment.

“shin-gles?”

“HEY, YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO ANSWER!” Papyrus said, smacking him with a pillow, giggling. They settled down again, the room going quiet.

“HEY SANS?” Papyrus asked again.

“what?”

“GOOD NIGHT.” Sans smiled.

“good night, paps.”


	7. Chapter 7

Papyrus groaned as a knock sounded from the door, rolling over and pushing himself deeper into the covers.

“Boys, there’s breakfast downstairs if you want!” The innkeeper called. The light patter of her feet echoed through the door, Papyrus listening quietly and sighing.

“SANS, WE HAVE TO GET UP NOW.” he said, shaking the lump in the covers next to him. Sans didn’t respond. “SANS, C'MON.” He shook him harder. No response.

“FINE THEN, YOU LAZYBONES!” he said as he jumped out of the bed, making sure to shake it as much as possible. “I’M GONNA EAT ALL THE FOOD AND YOU WON’T GET ANY!”

“okay.” Sans finally responded. Papyrus frowned.

“OKAY THEN!” Despite his urge to slam it in retaliation, he shut the door quietly behind him. He walked downstairs, following the scent of pancakes floating through the house. Idle chatter and the clanking of dishes drifted from the kitchen as he approached. The innkeeper was bent over the stove, flipping pancakes, while another bunny laid out plates and silverware. Upon seeing Papyrus enter, she smiled and gestured to the table.

“Have a seat! Pancakes will be done in a few minutes!” Papyrus pulled out the closest chair and sat down, the other rabbit joining him.

“We don’t get many travelers around here.” she said in a low, relaxed voice, “I’m Bunnette. I run the shop. Ms. Bun’s my big sister.” She held out her hand, Papyrus hesitating for a moment before shaking it.

“I’M PAPYRUS. MY BROTHER IS SANS, BUT HE WAS TOO LAZY TO GET OUT OF BED THIS MORNING.” She laughed. Ms. Bun carried over the frying pan, placing some pancakes on his and Bunnette’s plates. She grabbed some for herself and took a seat next to her guests.

“So, where are you two from?” she asked, passing the butter and syrup.

“HOTLAND.” Papyrus answered curtly, taking the syrup bottle and giving it a strange look. “WHAT’S THIS STUFF?”

“It’s liquid sugar, basically.” Bunnette said. Ms. Bun laughed.

“We get it from the trees. Guess you don’t have many of those in Hotland, huh?” she said, noticing his muted expression. He popped the lid, pouring the bottle over his pancakes and ending up with a giant pool of syrup on his plate. Bunnette gave him a wierd look, but didn’t comment.

“Say, Uno’s coming over soon, right?” she asked.

“Yes, he’s going to get some firewood for us.” Ms. Bun paused, thinking for a moment, “Say, Papyrus, would you like to help? It’s nothing dangerous; you’ll just be gathering sticks.” Papyrus let out a garbled response, mouth filled with pancakes and excessive amounts of syrup.

“I-I MEAN, YES!” he finally got out, the sisters giggling.

“Alright! It’s cold outside, but I have some extra scarves and jackets you can borrow. Wait here!”

Soon, a knock sounded from the door. Uno stood, staring blankly at the skeleton who had been wrapped up so stiffly he could barely move.

“Who’s this little guy?” he asked, giving the poor child an apologetic expression.

“This is Papyrus. He’s going to gather firewood with you today, so keep an eye on him, okay?” Ms. Bun called out from behind the desk as she ruffled through her records. Uno bent over, whispering to him.

“Need some help with those?” Papyrus gave a stiff nod, trying to move his arms. Uno led him outside and started pulling off the layers where Ms. Bun couldn’t see them. Once Papyrus was sufficiently mobile, the two set off into the woods. They soon found themselves in a clearing.

“We’ll meet up here.” Uno said, pointing to a mark in one of the trees, "Look for sticks like this-“ He hefted up a thick branch, showing it to Papyrus, ”-and grab about… four or five, I guess. These things can be a bit heavy. Uh…“ He paused for a moment, "Just follow the path. You shouldn’t get lost, but if you do, the dogs patrol around here. You can just ask them.” Papyrus smiled, giving a nod.

“OKAY, I THINK I GET IT!”

“Great! I’ll see you in about a half-hour, then.” They split up, Papyrus wandering off to the left. He kept a diligent vigil, scanning the trees for good-sized sticks.

“THERE!” he shouted as he pounced on a stick off to the side. “ONE DOWN!” He continued on, spotting and grabbing three more when he decided that he had found enough. He turned around on the path, ready to head back when he heard a yell echo through the woods. He froze, the voice sending chills down his spine.

The yelling continued, coming from somewhere on his right. He placed the branches on the ground, promising himself that he’d only investigate a little then head back.

“-can’t believe it! You had them! You had them and you let them go!” Papyrus shivered, slinking behind a tree. He recognized that voice.

“Really, Undyne, it could have been anyone./(You’re not even sure they’re the skeletons you’re looking for!)” the dogs that helped him last night said. They were locked in an argument with the fish who had attacked him and his brother so many times before, sharp teeth bared as she growled.

“How many skeleton kids can there possibly be in Snowdin?” She groaned, rubbing her forehead. “…Whatever. Where did you see them last?”

“We didn’t./(We’re blind.)”

“Where. Did. You last. Smell them?” Undyne snapped out, resisting the urge to uproot one of these trees and smash it against the ground.

“Somewhere in town./(Hard to say where. All the smells mix.)” Undyne sighed, calming herself down.

“I won’t tell the Head about this, but you two have to call me if you see them again, okay? This is more important than you realize.” The Dogi gave a stiff nod, walking off to continue their patrol. Undyne sighed, turning to do the same, only to stop suddenly. She summoned and threw a spear straight into the tree Papyrus was hiding behind in one fluid movement.

“I know you’re behind there. I don’t appreciate snoops.” She approached them, ready to teach whatever kid was brash enough to mess with her a lesson in manners. Papyrus leaped out from behind the tree and raised a wall of bones, taking her moment of surprise as a chance to run. He ignored her shouts, ducking under branches and weaving through the trees. He felt the impact of a few spears thrown in his direction, wincing as his breath became more and more panicked.

“I said, STOP!” Undyne screamed, finally throwing a green spear straight through him and turning him green. She huffed, marching up behind him as he scrambled to undo the magic holding him down.

“You… have been a lot of trouble.” she said as she hoisted him over her shoulder. “Whatever. We’re heading back to the lab now, and you’d better not cause any more problems.”


	8. Chapter 8

Sans shot up in bed, heart pounding.

“papyrus…?” he called out in an empty room. ‘oh, right, he left to get breakfast…' he thought, panic turning to irritation. He pushed back the covers and left the room, searching for Papyrus.

“Oh, hello!” the innkeeper said, “I just made lunch. Would you like some?”

“where’s papyrus?” he asked, running up to her. She giggled.

“Don’t worry, he just left with my cousin to gather some firewood. They’ll be back any minute now.” she assured him. “In the meantime, sit down and eat with us. You look starved!” He frowned.

“i’m… not really hungry.” Ms. Bun gave him a concerned look.

“Well, uh… Do you like to read? I can take you to the library if you want.” Sans shook his head.

“i’m just gonna wait.” Sans mumbled as he pulled himself onto the couch. He watched the entrance, waiting for his brother to come bursting through, but the moment never came. Instead, frantic knocking sounded from the door. Ms. Bun rushed to open it, worry clear on her face.

“Uno! Where have you been?” she asked, “And where’s Papyrus?" He stuttered, searching for the right words as Sans stared silently. "I-I… We were in the woods… a-and he didn’t show up at our meeting point. So I went looking for him a-and…” He took a deep breath. “The whole path was destroyed. Trees were toppled everywhere.” Ms. Bun stared in shock.

“Who could… What could…?” Sans pushed himself off the bench, unable to listen any further. He dragged himself up the stairs and back to his room, their frantic conversation echoing through the small hotel. He curled up inside his hoodie and stared at the roof, shaking as tears leaked from his eyes.

Meanwhile, Alphys approached Papyrus, who had pushed himself in between the wall and her desk, with with a bar of ice cream, trying to coax him out. He sobbed, shoving himself as deep into the corner as he could go.

“Undyne, did you really have to scare him this much?” Alphys asked.

“I tried being nice. It didn’t work.” she groaned, collapsing onto the couch and sighing in exhaustion, “Just be glad I caught him at all.” Alphys sighed, but turned back to the problem at hand.

“C'mon, I know Undyne’s scary, but we’re not going to hurt you…” she said, taking a few shaky steps closer. He recoiled further, eye starting to water and glow orange. “Urgh… I’m really running out of ideas here.” She took a bite out of the slowly melting ice cream, not one to let things go to waste.

“Asgore’s pretty good with kids. Maybe we should call him?” Undyne suggested. Alphys choked.

“And tell him that not only did I experiment on two kids, but I also let them loose in the underground where they might have hurt someone? I’d be fired for sure!”

“Maybe we should just leave him there. He’ll come out eventually, right?” Undyne suggested. “We never did get to watch those history vids.” Alphys sighed.

“I guess so.” She stood up, walking over to join her. She grabbed the disks she had put out what seemed like ages ago, searching for where they had left off. She sat next to Undyne, watching the skeleton out of the corner of her eye for any movement. Two hours of anime and Undyne’s excited outbursts later, the kid showed no signs of calming down.

Papyrus clutched at the red scarf Ms. Bun had given him, pulling it over his face as though it could protect him from the creatures roaming about the lab. Soon, the lizard lady approached him again.

“Are you… hungry?” she asked, kneeling down to look him in the eye. Papyrus stared at the sharp teeth peeking out from her upper lip, ignoring the question. She sighed. “I’ll… find you something then, I guess.” Alphys opened the fridge, dissatisfied with with the selection of nothing but instant noodles. She grabbed a container, shoving it in the microwave and turning to watch the kid again. He stared at her, confused, as she brought over the cup and slid it over to him.

“It’s not the best, but it should be enough…” she mumbled, walking back to the couch and resuming her marathon with Undyne. He examined the noodles, recognizing them and remembering that he still had that box of spaghetti hidden in his rib cage. He pulled it out and munched on the hard noodles, ignoring the strange looks the two women gave him.

“Is he… eating raw spaghetti?” Undyne asked, wide-eyed. Alphys suddenly had an idea.

“Be right back!” she called as she rushed out the door. Undyne sat there, confused.

“So… you like spaghetti, huh?” Undyne asked the skeleton, watching as he made eye contact with her for a second before looking away again. “What if I told you I know how to make it taste even better?” Papyrus gave her a wary look, curious. She grinned, walking over to Alphys’s mini-kitchen and putting a pan of water on the stove.

“Just wait, kid. You’re gonna _love_ this.” Undyne said right as Alphys returned, carrying bags of groceries.

“I have a plan!” she said, bringing them over to the counter.

“Way ahead of you.” Undyne grabbed the bags, rustling through them and pulling out a few jars of sauce. She emptied them into another pan, moving that one onto the heat as well. Papyrus leaned forward, trying to get a better view of what they were doing.

The water finally came to a boil. Undyne pulled out a box of spaghetti, nearly identical to Papyrus’s, flashing it at him before dumping it in the water as Alphys worked on the sauce. He moved closer. Undyne stirred, watching with a satisfied smirk as the noodles softened.

After a few minutes, she pulled the noodles off the stove and scooped them onto a plate, satisfied with the texture. Papyrus watched in fascination, shocked by the magical transformation that had taken place. Undyne picked up the plate and added the sauce, turning in his direction. He scrambled back into the corner, still a bit skittish. She offered it to him, watching carefully as she backed off. Slowly, he approached the plate, taking a bite. His eyes lit up in amazement, Alphys and Undyne silently celebrating their victory.

“Wanna learn how to make it?” she asked. Papyrus offered her a nervous smile in response, standing up to join them.


	9. Chapter 9

Sans took a deep breath, pulling his arms through his hoodie and visualizing the lab in his mind. His magic cracked and hissed, a shudder wracking his small frame as he ignored the cracked floor and broken glass and thought of Papyrus. If the guard had really caught him, then the labs were the only place they could have taken him to.

The metal zipper of his hoodie scratched against the cold tile as he released the breath he’d been holding, finding comfort in the empty silence of the basement. He dragged himself along the walls, staring wide-eyed through the darkness at the yellow light peeking out from under the door above him. He crawled up the stairway and reached up for the knob.

Suddenly, a crash echoed from outside the door, followed by a shout. He jumped back, gripping onto the railing after almost falling down the stairs. Another bang. He stood, frozen, watching the door as the sound of smashing metal and yells continued. Taking a shaky breath, he reached for the knob again, and, this time, cracked it open so he could peek through.

“Undyne, no! That’s too much!” Alphys yelled. Undyne laughed.

“WE NEED MORE HEAT!” she yelled to Papyrus as she stabbed at the spaghetti with her spears, “stirring” it. Papyrus smiled and turned the knob. Alphys gawked in horror, reaching to a nearby fire extinguisher right as the stove burst into flames. Undyne doubled over, cackling, and Papyrus stared in fascination as she put out the fire and breathed a sigh of relief that neither of them were harmed. A smile grew across his face.

“LET’S DO IT AGAIN!” he shouted. Alphys groaned.

“I don’t have anymore pans. You two destroyed them all.” she said, pulling the mangled piece of metal off the stove. Undyne grabbed it from her, bending it back into shape with her hands and smiling.

“Eh. It’s still good!” She tossed it on the counter, metal clanking against stone as she turned around to grab some paper towels. The door to the basement slammed suddenly, everyone freezing in their tracks as they stared in shocked confusion.

Sans almost tripped down the stairs as he retreated into the darkness of the lab, gasping for breath. Soon, he heard a creak from the door behind him and a voice yell out to stop. Ignoring it, he turned the corner and ducked into one of the rooms, looking around for a potential weapon.

Undyne raced down after him as Papyrus quietly followed her. She yelled out again, listening for the scratching sounds that followed him as he scurried away. She turned the corner, seeing a crack in the doorway and kicking it open as she summoned her spear. A blue eye lit up in the darkness. He lifted a nearby filing cabinet and flung it at her, a faint blue glow filling the room.

“SANS STOP!” Papyrus cried out. Undyne moved to throw her spears, but Papyrus’s magic slammed it into the ground before she could act. Sans froze, staring into the orange glow.

“pap-papyrus…?” he stuttered, the light fading from his eye. Papyrus ran out from behind Undyne, wrapping his arms around his brother. Sans let out a weak sob and squished his head into his shoulder.

“SANS, I’M OKAY, SEE?” Papyrus said, rubbing his back.

“you were… you were just _gone_ …” Sans murmured. He dug his hands into Papyrus’s back, picturing their room back at the hotel. Papyrus pulled away suddenly.

“NO, WAIT!” Sans stared at him, confused.

“WE… DON’T NEED TO RUN ANYMORE! THEY’RE NOT GONNA HURT US!” He looked up at Undyne’s imposing figure, inhaling sharply. He squeezed his arms through his hoodie as his eyes began to glow again.

“SANS, THEY CAN HELP US!” He backed away from Papyrus. “SANS-” He reached out, Undyne taking a cautious step forward. Sans launched a bone attack in their direction, ignoring the cry of pain behind him as he disappeared into the shadows.

Papyrus squeezed his arm as a sticky red substance leaked through his fingers. Undyne rushed over to him, kneeling down and quickly examining his injury.

“Hold on, Alphys can fix this! Alphys!” she called out peeling off Papyrus’s hand and examining the injury. Alphys rummaged through a drawer of medical supplies and rushed over, bandages and medicines spilling out of her arms.

“What happened? Are you two okay?” Undyne waved her off, motioning down at Papyrus, whose eyes were starting to water. Alphys gasped at the wound, gently lifting his arm so she could see it better and grabbing a cloth.

“Oh good, it’s just a hairline…” she muttered to herself as she dabbed at the fracture, trying to clean it. Papyrus let out a whine and rubbed at his face, trying to ignore the stinging. Alphys picked up a special healing gel, smearing it across his arm before bandaging it. “It should heal on its own, but it’s gonna hurt. What happened?”

“That other skeleton attacked him. I told you he was dangerous!” Undyne said, ignoring Papyrus’s flinch.

“Where did he go?” Alphys asked, staring at the damage around her.

“He just ran off. Probably teleported.” Undyne sighed, lifting up Papyrus to carry him upstairs. He picked at his arm, giving her a scared look.

“ARE YOU GONNA CHASE AFTER HIM?” he said, “PLEASE DONT HURT HIM!” Undyne’s expression softened as she let out a sigh.

“I was never gonna hurt either of you.” she mumbled, heading upstairs. Alphys followed, taking one last glance over the basement as she locked the door behind them, the click echoing through the halls.

Sans curled up in the corner, ignoring the shards of the glassware he had broken so long ago. This room had remained untouched, as had much of the area whee the skeletons first woke up. He stared blankly into the darkness, Papyrus’s shriek playing on repeat in his head.

“it… couldn’t have been him… they must’ve…” he mumbled to himself, drowning in the soft fabric of his hoodie as he rocked back in forth on the floor, “they must’ve…done something…” He let out a sob, burying his face in his knees and crying.


	10. Chapter 10

Papyrus picked at the bandage on his arm, staring at the cartoon on the TV but not really paying attention to it. He was bundled under piles and piles of blankets to the point where the two women could barely identify him. Undyne gave Alphys an uneasy look.

“Is this really the right time to ask?” Undyne said, crossing her arms, “He’s still really upset about what happened.” Alphys bit at her claws, looking away.

“W-well, I guess we could wait, but the sooner we figure out how all this happened…” Alphys trailed off as Undyne approached Papyrus. His expression brightened instantly as he emerged from his fluffy cocoon, scarf faithfully wrapped around his neck.

“DID YOU FIND HIM?” he asked, smiling. Undyne sighed, kneeling down next to him.

“No, we didn’t.” she said. Papyrus’s smile twitched.

“T-THAT’S OKAY! SANS IS REALLY SHY, BUT I"M SURE HE’LL COME AROUND!” Undyne tried to return his enthusiasm, managing a face that would have made any child cry except for Papyrus, who seemed reassured.

“Actually, that’s what Alphys wanted to ask you about!” she said, motioning at Alphys to join her.

“U-um, yeah! We were wondering if you could tell us more about you two!” Papyrus looked confused. “It might make it easier to find him!” He nodded.

“I GUESS SO! WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?” Alphys pulled out a notepad she had been hiding in her pocket and held her pen in the ready position.

“Well, first, tell us about when you first woke up.” Papyrus blinked.

“WHAT ABOUT IT?”

“Well, I think we should start at the beginning.” she said, “What’s the first thing you remember?” Papyrus thought for a moment, face scrunching.

“WELL, IT’S KINDA WEIRD. I THINK… THERE WAS SOMETHING IN MY EYE? IT KINDA STUNG. AND THEN THERE WAS THIS BURNING…” He squeezed his arm. “IT FELT LIKE… I WAS BEING TORN APART.” He went silent for a moment, face blank. Undyne gave Alphys a confused look, the other returning it before motioning at him to continue. “I GUESS I SCREAMED, BECAUSE SANS WAS TRYING TO COVER MY MOUTH. EVERYTHING JUST REALLY HURT. THEN YOU SHOWED UP.” The scratching sound of Alphys’s writing filled the room.

“AND WE RAN. EVER SINCE THEN, WE’VE BEEN RUNNING.” Alphys nodded, not really sure what to make of this, but glad to have some kind of lead, anyway.

“Is there anything else before that?” she asked. Papyrus looked confused. “Like, where did you get your name? Did you just always know it?”

“NO, I MADE IT UP.” Papyrus said, Alphys looking disappointed. “BUT…” She perked up. He picked at the bandage again, the cloth suddenly feeling tight against his bone.

“SOMETIMES… I REMEMBER STUFF I SHOULDN’T KNOW… LIKE THEY’RE SOMEONE ELSE’S…” The dressing tore, red fluid leaking out of his arm. Undyne grabbed him, Papyrus barely noticing what he did. Alphys let out a startled cry, dropping the notepad as she ran to get a fresh bandage.

“OOPS…” Papyrus mumbled, Undyne holding the remains of the cloth to his arm. She glared at Alphys, resisting the urge to say “I told you so” as she probably felt bad enough already.

“D-don’t worry! I’ll have it all figured out soon!” Alphys said, giving them an awkward smile as she rebandaged his arm. “Please don’t touch it again. It needs time to heal.” Papyrus mumbled an apology, curling up under the blankets again and shoving his face into his scarf. Alphys and Undyne quietly left after making sure he was alright, moving elsewhere to talk.

“Alphys, what the heck was that about?” Undyne almost screamed as soon as the door was shut.

“Not so loud!” she replied, worry showing on her face. She pulled out her notepad, looking over the information again. “It… doesn’t really make sense, but I think I can figure this out.” She pulled up a chair and sat down.

“Well, do you at least know what they are?” Undyne asked.

“Um, sort of. Physically, they’re the remains of the last two humans who came through here, but warped by a ton of magical exposure. From where, I’m not sure yet.” she explained, her seat letting out a small squeak as she leaned back, “But they’re definitely monsters now. The real question is where they got their SOULs from.” Undyne blinked, somewhat lost.

“Uh, do you have any ideas?”

“I think maybe some monsters must’ve fallen somewhere near them, and… their SOUL just stuck? Honestly, I’m really not sure at all. Monster SOULs don’t have the persistence for that kind of thing, and there’s no real way to tell how they got them.”

“So, you’re telling me this whole thing was basically pointless.” Undyne groaned.

“Not quite! We can still learn a lot from them!” Alphys said, trying to sound positive. Undyne sighed.

“And what about his brother? If anything, he’s the one I’m worried about.” she said, “He’s strong. Too strong. And there’s no way to catch him, either. He always teleports!” Alphys bit at her lip, considering their options.

“Maybe… If we wait, he’ll come back?” Alphys suggested weakly. Undyne frowned. “W-well, anyway! We should focus on Papyrus for now!” She stood up, Undyne rolling her eyes but following her back anyway.

“Hey Papyrus! Wanna do some cooking?” Undyne shouted. When she heard no response, she leaned over the couch and pulled at the blankets. She froze.

“Uh, Alphys?” she called. Alphys peeked over from the kitchen.

“What is it?”

“Papyrus is gone.” She blinked.

“…What?”

“He’s not here? On the couch?” Alphys rushed over, pulling off the blankets.

“Oh my god.” she said, the girls sharing a horrified look. Undyne darted for the door.

“I’ll check outside. You make sure he’s not just hiding.” she said, voice cold as she slammed it behind her. Alphys checked around the couch and in the corners, biting at her claws.

“Papyrus!” she called, rummaging through her cabinets. She checked her room, the kitchen, everything. “Papyrus!” No response. Desperately, she ripped open the basement door, calling into the labs.

Sans shuddered, torn out off his thoughts by the sudden shouting upstairs. He stood up and peeked out into the hallway, seeing a yellow beam of light cut through the darkness in front of him as the door to the basement was opened. The lizard lady was rummaging through her cabinets, searching for something as she flicked on all the lights she could find. It was only a matter of time before he was caught.

He frowned, eyes darkening. A skull materialized in the air next to him, humming with energy as he moved out from behind the corner.


	11. Chapter 11

Papyrus closed his eyes, listening for the familiar hum of his brother's magic through the walls. The basement remained quiet aside from his subsequent irritated huff.

"SANS!" he called into the shadows as he looked around a corner. "I KNOW YOU'RE DOWN HERE! YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE WITHOUT ME!" He briefly wondered if he should just turn back, looking around for the exit. There was a chance that he had wandered a bit too deep into the labs. He felt a twinge of fear run through him, but ignored it, instead staring at the golden flowers spread across the counter and stopping to gently run his fingers across their wilted petals.

Suddenly, he heard a muffled crash come from somewhere in the lab, followed by a familiar hum running through the air. He froze, listening silently. Another noise, this one more like a boom. The humming continued.

"SANS!" Papyrus cried out, running back the way he thought he came. Ignoring the fact that he was lost, he rushed through the hallways as he tried to pinpoint the source of the noise.

Sans gasped, ducking under the lightning blast the lizard shot at him. She stared, electricity still crackling in the air as she shivered. Giving up on the blasters, he launched a few bone attacks at her as he fled back around the corner, sneak attack failed. Alphys snapped out of her shock, cursing under her breath.

"Ugh, why did I attack him?" she mumbled, starting after him. "Hey, wait!" she called. Another skull formed in the air behind him, pointed straight at her. She squished herself against the wall, energy searing the air in front of her as she let out a small squeak.

"Oh man, I can't handle this..." She pulled out her phone, dailing by memory as she chased him. It rang once. More bone attacks. Another ring. "C'mon, pick up..."

"Alphys?" Undyne voice rang from the speaker.

"Undyne, I need you in the lab right now! The other-"

"I'll be there in five seconds!" Undyne hung up before Alphys could finish. She put her phone away, making a worried noise. Sans ducked into an adjacent hallway, slamming the door behind him as Alphys slid to a stop. She tugged at the knob, realizing he had locked it and reached for her keys.

Sans knocked a nearby cabinet into the door, looking down the hallway behind him and pondering if it was better to keep running or just teleport away. He ran through his options, picturing everywhere he had been in the past few days. Uncertainly, he rejected each of them and made a distressed noise, starting down the hall.

Undyne bounded down the stairs, footsteps crashing against the tile as she rushed towards Alphys.

"What's going on? Did you find Papyrus?" she said, watching her mess with her key ring.

"No, but I found his brother." Alphys muttered, making a frustrated noise as another key failed. Undyne growled.

"Fuck it!" she cried, slamming into the door with her shoulder. The door broke, shattered wooden planks adorning a knocked-over filing cabinet. She gave Alphys a toothy grin.

"That works, I guess..." she mumbled as Undyne pushed the debris towards the wall before carefully stepping around the debris.

Papyrus flinched at the sound of a crash nearby, closer than before. Worry finally taking over, he quickened his pace as he creaked open door after door, peeking inside only to find nothing again and again.

"SANS!" he called out, hoping for some sort of response. He waited a moment. Nothing. He continued on through the hall.

Sans ducked under a nearby desk as a crash and a maniacal laugh echoed behind him. Counting down the seconds until he was caught, he pulled in a nearby rolling chair to help shield him and held his breath, praying that they would just run past him. The light in his eye went out, the room going pitch black.

Alphys and Undyne rushed forward, quickly scanning the area for any sign of either of the skeletons. Undyne pulled on the bed coverings, briefly questioning their existence but not pursuing it. After a few minutes of searching, Alphys sighed and plopped down on a nearby chair, resting her elbow on the desk.

"I just don't know what to do! What if he already teleported?" she said.

"Well, searching every corner of this place won't hurt!" Undyne proclaimed, throwing aside furniture. Alphys sighed. Papyrus approached the door where it seemed the noises were coming from. He took a deep breath, steeling himself to face Sans and cracking open the door. It squeaked slightly, Papyrus flinching as he peeked through just in time to see a chair flying in his direction. It slammed the door open, and Papyrus was thrown back with a cry.

Undyne's eyes locked onto the area where she heard the noise, going silent and motioning at Alphys to stay. She summoned her spear and slowly approached the doorway. Staring into the shadows, she saw Papyrus on the floor and rushed over to him, spear disappearing.

"Papyrus?" she yelled, "What are you doing down here?" She quickly scanned him for any injuries, sighing in relief when she found none.

"UM, I WAS LOOKING FOR SANS... I DIDNT FIND HIM, THOUGH." he said as Undyne helped him to his feet.

"You really shouldn't run off like that! You really worried us!" Alphys said. Papyrus gave her a confused look.

"BUT I'M PERFECTLY FINE."

"That's not the point, you... Nevermind, just don't do it again." Undyne said, grabbing his hand and starting to lead him out of the lab. Papyrus blinked, but nodded. Alphys stopped.

"Did you find him?" she asked Papyrus.

"WHAT?"

"Sans. Did you find him?" Papyrus frowned.

"WELL, NO, BUT..."

"I don't think he's actually here. You probably just saw Papyrus." Undyne said, waving them off.

"That can't be right. He attacked me, Undyne. It was definitely Sans."

"AND I HADN'T SEEN EITHER OF YOU UNTIL NOW." Undyne paused, giving them a look before scanning the room one last time.

"Well, either way, he's probably gone by now." Undyne said, eyes still narrowed. She noticed something twitch under the table and froze, but sighed and started to walk out.

"w-wait!" a small voice called out. Sans kicked away the chair, crawling out from under the desk and glaring at the group. Papyrus's face lit up.

"SANS!" he said as he took a step to run towards him. Undyne held him back, frowning.

"y-you're going to give my brother back right now!" Sans said, blaster forming in the air behind him. Papyrus's expression fell.

"W-WAIT, SANS! I'M OKAY, SEE?" Sans stared at the bandage around his arm.

"they threatened you, didn't they?" he mumbled, looking away. Alphys casted a worried look to Undyne. The blaster began charging as he sharply turned to face them again. "let him go!"

"Sure." Undyne said, moving away her hand. Papyrus ran over to Sans as confusion filled his face.

"huh?" he mumbled, blinking. "it was that easy?" The blaster disappeared as Papyrus hugged him. Undyne gave him a toothy grin.

"What, did you think I was gonna keep you two apart? What kind of person do you take me for?" Sans blinked.

"a person who would kidnap my brother and throw spears at me." Undyne shrugged.

"THEY MAY SEEM SCARY, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY REALLY NICE!" Papyrus chirped.

"then what happened to your arm?' Sans asked, poking at the bandage.

"OH, IT WAS AN ACCIDENT. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!" Papyrus grabbed Sans's arm, dragging him towards the two women. "THEY HAVE THIS COOL STUFF CALLED SPAGHETTI HERE! THEY TAUGHT ME HOW TO MAKE IT AND..."

"bro, aren't we going to leave?" Sans interrupted, giving him a confused look. Papyrus paused.

"WHY WOULD WE LEAVE?" Papyrus said, sounding hurt.

"because, umm..." Papyrus's eyes looked watery. Sans stared at the pair, Alphys giving him a nervous smile. "well... i guess we can stay for a little bit..." Papyrus's expression immediately brightened as he let out a cheer. Undyne smiled at Alphys, giving her a thumbs-up.

_Mission accomplished_.


	12. Chapter 12

Papyrus slid the plate of spaghetti in front of Sans, smiling expectantly. Giving him a suspicious look, he grabbed his fork and took a bite of the spaghetti anyway. He blanched at the flavor, swallowing down his gag.

"i-it's great, paps." he said weakly, giving him a thumbs-up. Papyrus grinned.

"DON'T WORRY, THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM!" he chirped, hoisting an even bigger bowl of pasta onto the counter. Sans silently screamed, Alphys offering an awkward smile in sympathy. As the brothers, ah... "enjoyed" their dinner, Undyne pulled Alphys over into another room, closing the door behind them.

"Okay, I know we said they could stay, but how exactly were we planning on taking care of these two?" she asked. Alphys blinked. "This lab isn't exactly child-proof." Undyne clarified. She thought for a moment, staring into space.

"Umm, well, we could get the place renovated or something..."

"Alphys, this is a lab. There's dangerous stuff literally just lying out on the counter." Undyne said, pointing to an electric drill Alphys had left out from one of her projects. The sound of bones cracking with the sound of motors whirring in the background flashed through Alphys's head, punctuated by a scream. She winced.

"W-well, it shouldn't be this messy anyway!" she responded, grabbing the drill and throwing in into a random drawer, "I'll just try harder to keep it clean-"

"Look," Undyne said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I know you feel responsible for them 'n all, but we really can't keep them here. I'm honestly amazed they haven't died yet and it's only been an hour or two." Alphys's face fell.

"We can't just leave them on their own!" she said. Undyne grinned.

"Don't worry. I have a plan."

"What do you mean you're full?" Undyne cried, the Dogi shrugging.

"Do you know how many pups we have? (I think you'd be shocked.)" they replied. "Plus our cousins... (And our parents and grandparents...)" Undyne waved them off, sighing.

"It's fine, I guess..." she said, smile looking a bit forced as the pair walked off. She pulled out her phone, dailing Alphys's number.

"Any luck?" her voice squeaked through the speaker.

"No, they're "full"."

"Full?"

"All the dogs in Snowdin live together, I guess. Don't worry about it, I still have other options."

"Oh, okay. Well, everything's good on my end. They seem really into anime... Good luck!"

"See you later." Undyne sighed, hanging up. The only other person she could think to ask was Asgore, but he might ask too many questions, and, in Undyne's experience, Alphys wasn't the best liar. She looked around the plaza, searching for somewhere to think and finding a bar nearby. She walked in, giving the patrons a quick once-over and taking a seat. A monster made of fire, presumably the owner, Grillby, walked over to her, handing her a menu. She waved him off.

"Just get me something with meat in it." she said. Grillby shrugged and disappeared into the back. A few minutes later, a small rabbit came in, taking a brief look around and walking up to the guards' table. He whispered to the dogs, clearly wanting to keep whatever they were talking about a secret. Undyne smiled, kicking back her chair and strolling up to the table behind him.

"So, what's up?" she said, announcing her presence by slamming her elbows on the table. The rabbit gave her a wierd look, but the dogs' eyes snapped to her, recognizing her as next-in-line for Head of the Royal Guard. The table erupted in a chorus of barks as each dog tried to explain the situation.

"Woah, one at a time, guys." Doggo said from the back, hushing the group. "Uno here," he pointed to the rabbit, "filed a missing person's report about a day ago. He's askin' about our progress." Undyne gave them a sharp look.

"Who went missing?"

"Not anyone from Snowdin, that's for sure. Two kids, skeleton monsters." Undyne's eyes widened. "Apparently they were staying with Uno's cousins, but they just up and disappeared."

"They were staying at the inn?" she asked, looking at Uno. He nodded. "Can you take me there?"

"Uh, sure, I guess..." She grinned.

"Well, this has been a lovely conversation, but it's about time me an' Uno got going, yeah?" Undyne announced, dragging him behind her as she left. "See ya later!" The door slammed behind them. Grillby looked at the hamburger she had ordered (and not paid for), sighing at the waste of perfectly good food.

The door the inn burst open, an excited-looking fish woman grinning ear-to-ear marching in with Uno not far behind, sharing Ms. Bun's terrified look. She walked up to the reception desk and leaned against it, taking a brief look around the room.

"Nice place ya got here!" she said.

"Um, may I help you?" Ms. Bun asked. Undyne nodded.

"Yeah! I heard a pair of skeleton kids were staying here?" Ms. Bun's eyes widened.

"Er, yes, they were, but they disappeared suddenly... Have you found them?"

"Did they like it here?" Undyne asked, ignoring the question.

"I hope so. Those two looked like they'd been through a lot... I just wish I could've been more help."

"Weird question, but how much help, exactly?" Ms. Bun gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you found out they didn't have a real family and needed a place to stay, would you let them live here?"

"Of course! What kind of person would leave two kids out in the snow?" she replied, taken aback.

"Sounds good! I'll be over with them in an hour!" Undyne chirped, leaving before Ms. Bun could even blink. She pulled out her phone, excitedly typing away.

"yo alphys! found a place!"


	13. Chapter 13

The skeletons stared at the women, wide-eyed and confused.

"YOU MEAN..." Papyrus started, Sans frowning and looking away. "WE CAN'T STAY?" Alphys looked to Undyne, panicked. She shrugged, figuring that anything she came up with would probably only make things worse.

"Um, w-well... It's not that we don't like you!" Alphys said, watching in horror as Papyrus's eyes filled with tears. "W-we just want you two to be safe!"

"what's that supposed to mean?" Sans mumbled.

"This is a lab." Undyne said. "If you stay here, you'll definitely end up hurting yourselves. Both of you." Sans's frown deepened.

"B-BUT, WHO'S GONNA HELP ME MAKE PASTA?"

"Hey, we're not just leaving you two!" Undyne said, trying to comfort him by awkwardly patting him on the shoulder. He sniffed.

"THEN WHY CAN'T WE STAY?" Undyne sighed.

"I already- ugh! Look, we're not trying to abandon you here, just trying to find somewhere where you won't die before age 7." she explained, "We'll come visit you all the time! Right, Alphys?" Alphys gave a nervous nod in agreement.

Papyrus calmed down and mumbled some kind of resignation while Sans continued to pout in his hoodie. Undyne took their hands and led the two out of the lab and over to the river person, waving to Alphys as they left. The hooded figure's attention locked to them, seemingly fascinated as the kids flinched and moved behind Undyne.

"Er, don't worry about them, they do that to everyone. They're actually really friendly!" Undyne said, trying to coax the skeletons off her legs. A screeching noise sounded from under the river person's coat, followed by a strange, muted cackling. Undyne blinked. "Well, okay, they are pretty strange, but hey, they're our only form of public transportation and I'm not walking across that sea of lava over there, okay?"

She dragged them into the boat as the river person continued to stare intensely at the skeletons. The river person asked her a question, to which Undyne replied with something about Snowdin, but Papyrus could only pay attention to the hooded figure, mesmerized. The river person chuckled lightly.

"You... hold interesting company..." they muttered. Undyne gave them a confused look. "It's hard to know someone that doesn't exist..." They shrugged and turned around to start the boat. "Oh well, to Snowdin we go. Tra la la..." They started to hum to themselves as Undyne leaned over and whispered to the skeletons.

"Nothing they say ever makes sense. Don't even try." Despite her efforts, the skeletons remained tense and uncomfortable the entire way. She sighed, picking them up and carrying them off the boat when they landed.

"Tra la la... The things a mushroom would say, if they could talk..." The river person called from behind them as they walked away.

"Uh, yeah, thanks!" Undyne shook her head as she put the skeletons down, grabbing their hands and leading them down the path to the inn. Papyrus was eerily silent, staring into the trees as though looking for something. Even Sans seemed out of it. Undyne gave them a concerned look, but continued walking.

"So, you two already know Ms. Bun, yeah?" she asked, snapping the two out of their daze. Papyrus's face lit up.

"YEAH! SHE GAVE US A PLACE TO STAY AND MADE US BREAKFAST AND..." he chattered, Undyne listening intently for anything that might be important, "AND UNO'S PRETTY COOL TOO! SANS SLEPT MOST OF THE TIME THOUGH, SO I DONT THINK HE KNOWS ANYBODY." Undyne made a face.

"How long is 'most of the time'?"

"UHH, BASICALLY THE ENTIRE TIME WE WERE THERE. AT LEAST, I THINK SO. WE WEREN'T SEPARATED FOR TOO LONG." Undyne flinched slightly, realizing that she had maybe been a bit rough with the two.

"Well, you'll be okay with staying with her, right?" Undyne asked, "We really can't keep you in the lab." Papyrus pouted and looked away.

"AS LONG AS YOU VISIT." he mumbled. Undyne laughed.

"Yeah, of course! Can't just ignore my newest trainee!" she said, grinning widely. Papyrus's eyes nearly gleamed.

"TRAINEE..." he muttered to himself as quietly as his disimbodied voice would allow him to. Sans remained gloomy.

"what about science?" he said.

"What?" Undyne replied, confused.

"alphys promised to show me some cool experiments. how can she do that without her equipment?"

"Uh, I'm pretty sure you can do that stuff anywhere. I mean, I don't know a lot about it, but even this snow is like, science!" Sans seemed unimpressed. "Er, Alphys can explain it better. But don't even worry about it, okay?" Sans reluctantly accepted her logic, sighing and looking ahead towards the inn instead.

Undyne rushed up to the door, giving it a quick knock and stepping back. The door cracked open, Undyne waiting with a toothy grin.

"I'm back!" she exclaimed, Ms. Bun feeling used to the energy by now. She looked down at the skeletons, breathing a sigh of relief that they were okay. Undyne released their hands and ushered them towards the innkeeper, trying not to show any disappointment. Ms. Bun placed her hands on the skeletons' shoulders and gave them her best welcoming smile.

"I don't really know much about you two, but I promise to do my best to take care of you." she said. Papyrus stared quietly as Sans's grumpy expression finally faded. Papyrus's eyes started to water, and he turned to hug Undyne.

"M-MAKE SURE TO COME BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, OKAY?" he said into her leg. Undyne chuckled and ruffled his... bone.

"If I'm not back in three days, you can hunt me down yourself!" she proclaimed. She bent down to look him in the eye and held out her pinky. "I promise!" Papyrus shyly hooked his finger with hers, trying to return her pleased smile. Undyne lifted herself, dusting off her knees.

"See ya soon!" she shouted, walking off back to the river to meet up with Alphys. The skeletons managed a shy wave in return, unsure if she had even seen it as Ms. Bun led them inside and shut the door. She excitedly chirped about how happy she was that the boys were safe, leading them into the kitchen and rummaging around the cabinets for something to cook.

Papyrus scooted closer to Sans in his chair, Sans unconsciously mirroring the action. Although they had finally found their home, there was still a strange sense of fear neither of them could shake. Sans briefly repeated what the river person had told them in his head, a chill running down his back. Startled, he looked behind him, only to see nothing.

In another existance somewhere, a shadowy being stood, frozen like a statue and staring down at the pair with a grimace.


	14. Chapter 14

"papyrus, why do you need me to spread spaghetti all over the yard again?" Sans called into the shed. Papyrus peeked out from the bottom of the window, eyes narrowed and scanning the woods for movement.

"I'VE TOLD YOU LIKE A MILLION TIMES, SANS!" he replied in the quietest voice he could manage, "THAT THING HAS RUINED MY SCULPTURES, STOLEN MY ATTACKS, AND BASICALLY DESTROYED EVERYTHING I LOVE. IF WE DON'T STOP IT, IT MIGHT COME FOR YOU NEXT." Sans groaned. "BUT IF IT DOES, IT'LL FALL INTO ONE OF MY INGENIOUS TRAPS!" He motioned to the piles of spaghetti littered around the area. "IT'LL BE SO DISTRACTED BY THE THOUGHT OF RUINING MY FAVORITE FOOD IT WON'T NOTICE ME SNEAKING UP ON IT WITH A NET! IT'S FOOLPROOF!"

"but you've already ruined the spaghetti."

"A NECESSARY SACRIFICE. ANYTHING TO SAVE FUTURE PASTAS' LIVES." Sans sighed, but spread the noodles over the snow anyway. When he finished, he joined Papyrus at his lookout through the window. Papyrus watched the yard, carefully positioned just out of sight of any intruders, but in the perfect position to spot any. He waited for at least an hour, but the offending creature never showed.

"i don't think it's coming today. can we go back to the inn?" Sans groaned, sliding down the wall.

"NO! THERE ARE TOO MANY OBSTACLES INSIDE THAT COULD HINDER MY EFFORTS TO CAPTURE IT-" Right before Papyrus could finish, a small, white dog burst out of the shed and ran off, a bone shimmering between his teeth. Papyrus shouted and jumped out the window after it. "HEY! THAT'S MY SPECIAL ATTACK!"

Sans pushed himself off the ground, meaning to head back home, but Papyrus and the dog raced towards Waterfall. Sans briefly thought back to their visit a few months ago from before they settled down with the Buns. Papyrus could easily get lost in the caverns, fall down somewhere get hurt, cry for help in the empty darkness only to find no one there...

Sans took off after them.

Papyrus chased the dog all the way past Undyne's House and through the Blook Family Snail Farm, only stopping for a second to give a mostly ineffective apology to a ghost he had frightened with his shouts. Sans, who was left in the dust a while ago, only needed to follow the trail of dirty dishes and laundry the dog always seemed to leave behind. Papyrus followed it into a dark cavern and tripped over a mushroom in the dark, the annoying dog disappearing into the shadows and out of sight.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! DISTRACTING ME WITH MY OWN TRAPS AND RUNNING OFF WITH MY SPECIAL ATTACK!" Papyrus kicked the mushroom in anger, ignoring the path it lit up. Huffing, he plopped into the ground and crossed his arms.

"hey papyrus." Sans said as he appeared behind him. "didya catch it?"

"NO."

"where'd he go?" Papyrus shrugged. "are you gonna tell undyne?" He thought for a moment. Undyne could catch that dog easily, but she might be disappointed that he couldn't handle it himself.

"YEAH. LET'S GO FIND HER." Papyrus got up and started walking. Justice was more important than his personal validation.

"bro, do you know where she is?" Papyrus stopped, just now taking the time to examine his surroundings.

"OF COURSE! SHE'S AT HER HOUSE!" He proclaimed and pointed to the lit path. "AND THIS IS THE WAY I CAME! C'MON SANS!" He grabbed Sans's arm and dragged him along the path, Sans not bothering to question him. Eventually, the path ended and the pair found themselves at a dead end.

"let's just teleport out of here. i think we're lost." Sans said.

"LOOK! I THINK THAT'S IT OVER THERE!" Papyrus said, ignoring him and pointing to a light peeking out from their left. He tugged Sans over to the opening and looked inside. A well-lit carved room full of strange cat/dog creatures lay hidden behind the dark twists of the cavern, its inhabitants locking their eyes on the intruders. A grin grew ear-to-ear (both the dog and cat ears) on their faces as Papyrus and Sans stared on in confused horror.

"hOi!"

"im tEMMIE!"

"Hi, I'm Bob."

"hOi hOi hOi!" The creatures, known collectively as Temmie, surrounded the pair and carried them off into their "village", chanting strange, incomprehensible words.

"skeletons r... sUPER CUTE!!! *pets u*

"fhsdhjfdsfjsddshjfsd"

"How was your day?"

"hOI!! welcom to da...... TEM VILLAGE!!!!!!!!"

"that's it, i'm teleporting us out of here." Sans said, eye starting to glow.

"WAIT! THEY MIGHT KNOW WHERE THE DOG IS!" Papyrus turned and spoke towards the horde of Temmie. "HAVE YOU SEEN AN IRRITATING WHITE DOG?" The Temmie silenced, smiles replaced with a dark expression.

"dog is... not cute"

"p!!!!"

"We all live in fear of the Annoying Dog."

"*dies*"

"UMM, WELL, IT RAN BY HERE, SO-" The Temmie let out a shriek and rushed out of the village, washing away any sign that they had ever been there in an instant. Sans blinked.

"did we just destroy an entire civilization?" he thought out loud. All that remained in the wreckage was a lone mushroom, stiffly rooted in place and staring at them with a pensive expression. It wiggled.

"Mushroom dance, mushroom dance,

Whatever could it mean?"

it sang, stopping short to stare them in the eyes, "It means they'll be back in tem minutes." The mushroom stilled.

"WELL, THAT'S GOOD! SANS, WE SHOULD PROBABLY TELEPORT TO UNDYNE'S." Papyrus said. Sans muttered something along the lines of "thank god" and shuffled towards him. The mushroom wiggled again.

"Mushroom dance, mushroom dance,

Whatever could it mean?"

He stared into the empty space behind them. Sans remembered the strange things the river person had said and froze. "A man who speaks in hands, behind you is where he stands..." Papyrus gave the mushroom a confused look. Sans shuddered as a wave of unease washed over him and roughly grabbed Papyrus's arm.

"c'mon papyrus, let's go-"

"( **Now boys... Is that any way to treat an old friend?** )" a voice echoed through their minds. The skeletons went cold. "( **Turn around and shake my hand.** )"


	15. Chapter 15

_*prrrrfffffftttttttt*_

 The strange figure burst into laughter. Papyrus looked down at their hands in confusion as Sans collapsed in a fit of giggles, tension melting away as though they had known each other for years. There were no enemies among horrible senses of humor. 

“( **Ha… I haven’t had a good laugh like that in a while…** )” the figure said. His detached hand floated out of Papyrus’s and back to his side, a whoopee cushion clutched in his fingers. Sans silently took notes. 

“WHA…” Papyrus stuttered, in awe of the strange, gooey being that stood before him. “WHAT ARE YOU?”

“( **Hmm, what am I… That’s a good question. Will who I am suffice?** )” he replied in a strangely familiar tone. The skeletons looked at each other, both confused. Sans, burning with curiosity, gave a twitchy nod. “( **I am Doctor Wing Dings Gaster, Asgore’s Royal Scientist.** )”

“BUT ALPHYS IS THE ROYAL SCIENTIST.” Papyrus said. Gaster’s expression distorted and morphed as he absorbed this new information, face eventually deciding on fascinated. 

“( **Huh. She’s the only one qualified, and yet… Does she even know the difference between D-S4N5 and D-U1N3?** )” he mumbled, hunching over with a squish. He shook his head and focused the skeletons again. “( **Anyways! That’s just a temporal anomaly, I’m sure! Not many universes are equipped to handle sudden historical rewrites.** )” Papyrus blinked.

“so, like, it’s like, a… yeah?” Sans stuttered out, face beaming. Papyrus had never seen him this excited. 

“( **I guess you could say that she took over for me.** )” he said, smiling. “( **Anyway, I have an important reason for being here, and I’d like you two to hear it.** )“ He leaned in, form stretching to its full height as he towered over the skeletons. ”( **In life, I was… passionate, yes, but not very kind. The underground deserved better. My experiments ruined many people’s lives, and this might be my only chance to set things right.** )“

"wait, what’s wrong?” Sans asked. 

“( **The CORE is easily my finest creation, but its… effects are unpredictable, to say the least. When I fell, I was, well, there’s no easy way to put this, scattered across this world’s CODE.** )” Sans stared blankly, jaw hanging open as far as it could go. Papyrus, who had given up a while ago, was mesmerized with the hand gestures that seemed to follow his every word. “( **Yeah, that’s the reaction I expected. At any rate, I’m omniscient now. I can see everything that’s happened and everything that will.** )” 

“DO YOU KNOW IF MS. BUN IS MAKING CINNAMON ROLLS FOR TONIGHT?” Papyrus asked. Gaster paused for a second.

“( **…Yes, it seems she is.** )” Papyrus silently mouthed “yes!” and pumped his fist. “( **But that’s not what I’m here for. Something very big is about to happen here, and it will change this universe forever.** )” Gaster turned towards the wall, form sharpening with his serious change in tone. “( **Sometime soon, this timeline will split. Worlds stopping and starting, all reaching towards one universal end.** )”

“what does that mean?” Sans asked.

“( **Ah, that’s the problem. I have no idea. Perhaps this universe will be reformed, or perhaps…** )”

“WHAT?”

“( **Perhaps everything will just be destroyed. I can not truly say why.** )” The group stood in silence for a moment as the kids wrapped their heads around that prospect, Papyrus and Sans leaning closer to each other unconsciously.

“w-we can stop it, right?” Gaster shrugged.

“( **Well, I suppose if you stop the inciting event, you could avoid it…** )” 

“THEN WE’LL JUST… KEEP IT FROM HAPPENING!” Papyrus said. Sans, looking more determined, nodded in agreement. Gaster sighed.

“( **If it’s possible, you two will figure it out, I suppose. Stranger things have happened…** )” He gave them a long, indiscernible stare. The skeletons blinked. Sans huffed, unable to ignore the elephant in the room any longer.

“mister, do we know you?” Gaster froze, stunned, then melted slightly with a gentle smile.

“( **Once. It no longer matters.** )” He turned his back on the pair, beginning to fade. “( **Don’t forget what I’ve told you here. You’ll need it someday. And Papyrus? She’s making spaghetti, too.** )” Sans reached out to grab his cloak, but his hand passed through it like air.

“you can’t just say something like that and  _leave_.” Sans frowned.

“( **Sure I can. Who’s stopping me?** )” The skeletons gave him a deadpan stare. He coughed. “( **It’s not really my decision. I’m not supposed to be here, anyway.** )”

“IS IT REALLY POSSIBLE TO JUST STOP EXISTING?” Papyrus asked with a somber expression. Sans found it out of place.

“( **About as possible as existing in two places at once. But there are more pressing matters to concern ourselves with. I fear our future has already been set in motion…** )” And without another word, Doctor W. D. Gaster disappeared as quickly as he came. The skeletons looked at each other, concerned.

“WHAT NOW?” Sans thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone.

“alphys will know what to do. alphys knows everything.” He dialed her number and waited. Alphys didn’t respond. Alphys always picked up her phone. “maybe she didn’t hear it?” He called again, but Alphys didn’t answer. She couldn’t answer; she was busy digging holes and anxiously trying to muffle the sound of her ringtone, unable to turn it on vibrate as she pushed the seeds into the soil.

Careful not to disturb the surrounding flowers, she brushed the dirt back into place and patted it gently. What better place to showcase her finest scientific discovery than as the centerpiece of Asgore’s garden? She pushed herself off her knees and wiped off her clothes with a smile. A flower with DETERMINATION… He’d be so impressed!

**Author's Note:**

> Finally moved over from Tumblr! You can follow me at shyghosty; I update there first.


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